Under the blazing sun, Aziz Khader, a man in his sixties, leans on his son Shadi as he makes his way= through the ruins of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza. Every step is a challenge for Khader, who pauses often to catch his breath, his face etched with sorrow.

Al-Shifa Medical Complex, once a lifeline for many, now stands in ruins following two successive Israeli raids. Once partially destroyed, the hospital was rendered completely unfit to treat patients after the second attack.

Khader, a survivor of Israeli massacres in Jabalia camp, lost 12 family members, including his brother, when missiles destroyed their six-story home. Despite his grief, he thanks God for sparing him and his immediate family.
“We call this the ‘journey of suffering,’” explains Shadi, as he helps his father reach the dialysis department, one of the few still functioning in Gaza. Khader used to receive treatment at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, but it was destroyed during the Israeli incursion, forcing him to seek care in Al-Shifa.

Fuel shortages, destroyed equipment, and a lack of medicine have cut his dialysis sessions from three times a week to two, each reduced in duration. The department, which serves 67 patients weekly, struggles to remain operational as fuel supplies dwindle, and repair work is impossible under the blockade.

The Ministry of Health, in coordination with local institutions, has managed to partially reopen the dialysis department, but the situation remains dire. Medical staff fear a complete breakdown of services as resources run out.

Khader’s ordeal is a stark reminder of the suffering endured by Palestinians in Gaza, where even basic medical care becomes a daily battle for survival amid the relentless destruction.